


call it what you want

by Kennedy97



Category: Hockey RPF, Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - TiMER Fusion, Angst, Dallas Stars, Eventual Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Timers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-07-17 08:06:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16091495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kennedy97/pseuds/Kennedy97
Summary: '“Are you tired of sitting around waiting for love? Your days of waiting and wondering are over,” the voice over in the commercial says, as shots of meet-cutes and hand holding are shown, “Say goodbye to heartbreak and disappointment! Now you can be on the clock. True love… on a schedule!”'Tyler knows two things: One, he’s gotta get his shit together if he wants to keep his friendship with Jamie. And two, his life would definitely be a lot easier if TiMERs never existed.





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The season's starting soon so Im just gonna drop the first chapter of this.  
> If you're not familiar with the trope you can watch the trailer of the movie [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4iMWM91cHY) although you dont need to watch the movie to understand anything. 
> 
> I didn't want to try to predict the outcome of this season so the story takes place in the 2017-2018 season.  
> The rating will change. 
> 
> Some Warnings:  
> -Katie H is mentioned in at least the first two chapters. I'm sorry.  
> -Use of homophobic slurs in this chapter.

Tyler first hears about TiMERs from Jesse. Not Jesse as in his friend Jesse, but a girl named Jesse who he’s been sort of dating. Tyler found her on Instagram, which isn’t romantic at all. Although to be fair, romance has never been his thing. They don’t really have anything in common but she’s hot and she’s good in bed so Tyler’s willing to keep her around until she inevitably realizes he’s not as invested as she is.

They’re lying in his bed one night, watching TV because Jesse decided to overstay her welcome, when a commercial for the TiMERs flashes across the screen.

 _“Are you tired of sitting around waiting for love? Your days of waiting and wondering are over_ ,” the voice over in the commercial says, as shots of meet-cutes and hand holding are shown, “ _Say goodbye to heartbreak and disappointment! Now you can be on the clock. True love… on a schedule!”_

“What the hell are those things?” Tyler wonders out loud.

“OMG they’re finally out!” Jesse squeals, “Just in time for Valentine’s day!”

Tyler tries not to dwell too much on the fact that he’s sleeping with someone who says “OMG” out loud and instead asks her to explain what these so called TiMERs are.

“They’re like, the most amazing thing ever. It tells you who your soulmate is and when you’re gonna meet them,” Jesse says, “I don't know exactly how they work, it’s something scientific about hormones or whatever. They put the implant in your wrist and it starts counting down to when it’s gonna happen.”

“You’re going to get one?” he asks her, though it’s obvious an question.

“Of course!” she answers, “We can go get one together when you have a day off.”

“Oh. Uhmm...” Tyler doesn't know how to say it without sounding like an asshole. “I’m gonna pass on that, Jesse. I don’t really want one.”

“You don’t?” She says, looking at him as if he was from another planet. “Like seriously, _everyone_ is going to get one. It’s a guaranteed way to figure out the love of your life. Why wouldn’t you want that?”

“Because it sounds like a whole bunch of bullshit to me,” Tyler replies. He refrains from telling her that there’s no way he’s her soulmate and that if the timer disagreed, he’d rip out the damn thing himself.

Jesse looks offended nonetheless. “It’s not bullshit. I told you, it’s _scientific,”_ she leaves the bed and puts her clothes back on.  Tyler shrugs and doesn't protest. It’s not like he wanted her to stay, anyway. “I’m gonna go home. Text you tomorrow.”

Tyler has a feeling she probably won’t. But that’s okay. He didn’t need a timer to know their relationship had an expiration date.

* * *

The next day after practice, it seems as if the TiMERs are the only thing his teammates can talk about.

“It’s probably the best thing that has ever been invented,” Devin says, his face looking like he’s a kid on Christmas morning. Tyler’s not surprised by his excitement. Devin gets excited about everything.

“It totally is!” Bishop exclaims, just as delighted as Devin. This doesn’t surprise Tyler either since he’s always known Ben likes romantic shit. “I’ve been reading up on them. Did you guys know they’ve been testing them for years? There’s a lot of work and research that went in to it.”

“Is there a store in Dallas already?” Gemel asks and _now_ , Tyler is surprised. He was under the impression that Gemel was loving the single life style.

“I looked it up and it opens next week,” Ritchie answers, “I’m probably getting one as soon as I can.”

Most guys in the locker room voice their agreement and Tyler is baffled. From Honka to Roussel it seems like everybody jumped on the TiMER bandwagon.

“You guys are not serious, are you?” Tyler says, “This whole thing is a scam.”

“No way, Segs,” Bish assures him, “There’s a lot of scientific evidence to back it up. It’s definitely legit.”

Other people chime in to back up what Bishop says. Someone even starts going on about how he always knew soulmates were real and how great it is to have been right all along. Apparently, Tyler has been playing hockey with a bunch of romantic saps and he’s just finding out about it now.

“Hold on,” he says, interrupting the cheesiness everyone’s saying, “Most of you guys are already married or in a relationship? Why do you even want one?”

“Spoken like someone who’s never been through an actual breakup,” Spezza scoffs and everyone laughs. Tyler still doesn't get it.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he protests.

“He means you don’t know how shitty it is to have your heart broken,” Radulov explains. Tyler tries not to feel disappointed about the fact that not even Rads is on his side. “You’ve never been in a serious relationship. So you don’t get what it is to  invest yourself and for it to go to shit at one point.”

“Seriously, Segs. Dating is the _worst_ ,” Ritchie says, “Things will be so much easier now that we can know if a girl is worth it, if she is ‘The One’.”

“So if you’re already with someone and it turns out she’s not ‘The One’... you’re gonna end things with her?” Tyler asks, still puzzled.

The room finally quiets down as the guys think of an answer.

“Personally, I’m sure my wife is my soulmate so that’s not a problem that I’ll have,” Bishop answers, without an ounce of doubt in your voice, “We’re only getting TiMERs for confirmation.”

Some of the married guys nod in agreement.

“If we not soulmates, I’d end the relationship,” Radulov says. “No point in staying together.”

“I think I’d do that too,” Devin sighs. His excitement is gone now that he’s given more thought to the situation.

“You all would seriously just let a computer implanted in your wrist to dictate your life like that?” Tyler asks. “There’s no way I’d give up my free will like that. That’d be stupid.”

For a second, he wonders if maybe he shouldn’t imply all of his teammates are stupid. But nobody looks like they took offense.

“It’s not stupid. You’re just too cynical to get it,” Jamie replies, speaking for the first time during the argument.

“I am not,” Tyler denies, even though he doesn’t exactly know what ‘Cynical’ means. “I just think it’s creepy.”

“Well, it kind of is,” Jamie concedes, “But it makes people happy, so what’s the problem?”

Tyler takes one look at Jamie, at his soft eyes and floppy hair that hasn't been gelled back yet, and he knows what the answer is. A TiMER could make other people happy, but not Tyler. In fact, it’ll be more likely to make him miserable.

“None, I guess,” Tyler lies, “Maybe I just gotta live and let live or whatever.”

“You’ll change your mind eventually,” Bishop assures him. “There will come a time, you’ll get tired of the bachelor lifestyle and you’ll yearn for someone to be with.”

“Not anytime soon,” Tyler says with a chuckle. He heads to the showers without telling Bishop that he’s been yearning for quite some time already

* * *

“Candace wants to get one,” Tyler’s sister Cassidy tells him over their weekly Skype call.

“Seriously? Am I the only one who’s not into these things?” He wonders out loud.

Cassidy shrugs, “I don’t want to get one either. At least not yet.”

“What do you mean not yet?”

“Well, I’m young and in college and I wanna have fun. I’m not looking to settle down until much later,” she explains, “I’m guessing that’s how you feel too, even if you’re 6 years older than me.”

“Girls mature faster than boys,” Tyler says, although it’s irrelevant. He could be 40 and he still wouldn’t want to get a TiMER.

“That’s sexist bullshit,” Cassidy replies, with what has become her catchphrase since going to college.  “You just have commitment issues.”

“You’re too educated for your own good,” he teased. He’s happy that she’s learning things, proud even. Cassidy has never caused any troubles but the same couldn't be said for Candace. “Why is Candace getting a TiMER? I thought she was still with What's-his-name:”

“Josh,” Cassidy supplied, “They’re always on and off, currently on. But Candace says she’s tired of that and wants to know if it’s worth to keep trying.”

“Does she really need a computer to tell her that it’s not?” Tyler sighs. He’s never been Josh’s biggest fan.

“That’s what I told her,” she shrugged, “She said that you and me wouldn't get it cause we never been in love.”

“How the hell does she know if I ever been in love or not?” he scoffs.

“Have you?” Cassidy retorts, quirking an eyebrow.

“Sort of.”

“Sort of? There are no ‘sort ofs’ in love!” she laughed.

“There are when it’s unrequited,” he admits reluctantly. “What makes you the expert, anyways?”

“Yeah, good point,” she says, “But wait the fuck up, what do you mean ‘unrequited’? You’re telling me there’s actually a girl who turned you down? Maybe there’s still hope for womankind!”

Not a girl, he thinks to himself.

“Maybe one day I’ll tell you about it,” he lies, “I gotta go now. My children need a walk.” Also a lie. He walked the dogs earlier, but he doesn't like where the conversation is going, and he’d rather end it.

“Ugh, seriously? You’re going to hang up after saying that?” she protested.

“Yep. Bye now,” he says with a small wave and closes the laptop before Cassidy can say anything else.

* * *

Tyler has spent most of his life wishing to be normal. To have normal sized ears that wouldn't make the other kids call him dumbo, normal parents who didn't get divorced because they still loved each other, and most recently, normal and strictly heterosexual feelings towards his teammates. He enjoys being the center of attention, but he hates being the odd one out.

So when it’s clear that the TiMERs are here to stay, Tyler realizes that he’ll probably have to get one if he wants to fit in. He still hates them, still thinks they're creepy as hell, but there’s more pros to it than cons and he can’t think of any more to add to the list.

His mind is practically made up about getting a TiMER, going as far as setting a date for an appointment, when everything goes to shit.

It happens when he’s out with his friends Brian and Nick. They’re at a sports bar that serves overpriced beer that his friends seem to love. There’s a TV everywhere he looks, all playing different games from different leagues, and he doesn't know what he should pay attention to. Until he spots Julian Edelman on one of the screens, giving some sort of interview. It strikes him as odd since the NFL season already ended and the Patriots lost Super Bowl. Tyler has been there, and he knows losers don't usually get interviewed days after the big game.

“Oh, that Edelman shit is totally crazy, right?” Brian says once he notices what Tyler’s been looking at.

“It’s fucking whack, bro,” Nick agrees, his mouth half-full of fries, “I can't believe you used to hang out with him, Segs.”

“Why? What did he do?” Tyler asks. He hasn’t seen Julian in months and he hasn’t talked to him much either, but he still considers him a friend.

“More like, _who_ did he do?” Brian chuckles before taking a long sip from his beer.  Nick lets out a loud, mocking laugh showing them once again the contents of his mouth.

Tyler just looks at them, waiting for them to explain the joke.

“Oh come on, Segs! You can't tell me that you didn't hear about it,” Brian whines at him. Tyler just shrugs, still confused. “Edelman timed out with Amendola. Happened last week. In front of a shit ton of people. It’s been all over the news since, man. I don't know how you didn’t find out.”

Tyler had been too busy dwelling over getting a TiMER to catch up with the news. Even big news like this.

“Hold on, that doesn’t make any sense,” Tyler hesitated, “Jules met Amendola years ago how could they time out now?” 

“You don’t know anything about TiMERs, do you?” Nick asks, rolling his eyes, “It was their first time seeing each other after getting them. When you get a TiMER after you already met your soulmate, it stays on zeroes and it lets you know who it is by beeping the next time you make eye contact.”

“It’s a pretty loud beep, that’s why everyone found out,” Brian adds. “They went public with it. Apparently, they're not ashamed of their _‘love’_.”

“It’s fucking bullshit, if you ask me,” Nick cringes, “I can’t believe there’s gays playing football.”

“Well, they don’t call them the Gaytriots for nothing,” Brian jokes.

“Good one!” Nick laughs and high fives him, “I guess from now on NFL stands for National Faggot League.”

This sends Brian on a fit of hardcore giggles while Tyler fakes a smile and a forces a chuckle. If he were braver, he’d call them out on their shit. He’d repeat all the stuff the people from You Can Play told him. But he’s not brave and he doesn't want to risk being in the same position as Edelman, exposed and as the butt of the joke. His friends keep on laughing about their shitty behavior while he comes to two realizations: One, he needs to get better friends. And two: He’s never, ever, going to get a TiMER.

* * *

Days later, Tyler can’t stop thinking about all of it, Edelman and Amendola, his stupid friends, and the goddamned TiMERs. His head hurts from all the thinking he’s been doing and he wishes it could all just stop.

The date of his TIMER appointment comes and goes, and the Stars leave town on road trip, which doesn't go well, as usual. On the way home, he sits by himself on the plane. He fails at falling asleep, so he takes out his phone and tries to compose a text for Edelman. He types and deletes his words several times because nothing seems right. He’s so frustrated at himself for being so bad at expressing himself on writing. Still, calling Julian is not an option, not just because he’s on a plane but also because it’d be an incredibly awkward conversation and he’d rather not have it.

He’s furiously deleting the text for the tenth time when someone takes the seat next to him.

“Everything okay?” Jamie asks him in a low voice.

“What do you say to someone who’s entire life just went up in flames?” He replies with a sigh.

“Up in flames how? Did somebody die?” Jamie puts a hand on his back, showing concern.

“No, nothing like that. It’s about my friend Edelman. He was outed by his TiMER.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that. It’s tough,” Jamie says. “Why don’t you know what to say to him? Are you, uhm… are you not okay with it?”

“It’d be pretty hypocritical of me If I weren’t,” he replies before he realizes what he just said.

Jamie’s eyes widen like saucers and his mouth opens like he wants to say something, but nothing comes out.

Tyler just majorly fucked up.

“I shouldn’t have said that. That wasn’t- I mean- I was joking. I’m not-”

“It’d be fine if you were, though,” Jamie says, cutting off his rambling. He still looks a little bewildered but there’s certainty in his voice.

“It would? You’d be okay with it?” Tyler asks with caution. He’s known Jamie for five years and he’s never told him out of fear that it would freak him out.

“Well... it would be hypocritical of me If I weren’t,” Jamie says and now it’s Tyler’s turn to be shocked.

He thinks maybe Jamie’s just joking, maybe he doesn't mean it in the same way. It’s impossible. Jamie’s probably one of the straightest people he’s ever met. There’s no way Jamie’s coming out to him.  But then he looks into Jamie’s eyes and he knows that they're on the same boat. Tyler spent so much time wishing he was straight so he could feel normal about Jamie but maybe he was normal all along.

They sit there looking at each other for a solid minute.

“I feel like we should hug or something,” Tyler tries to lighten the mood.

“Later,” Jamie says chuckling. Tyler tries not to look too disappointed. “You should think about what you’re going to say to Edelman.”

“Ugh, I still don’t have a clue,” Tyler whines and runs a hand through his hair.

“He’s your friend, right? And you care about him?” Tyler nods in response. “Well then, just tell him that. Tell him you’re still there for him, that you’re his friend no matter what happens, that you’ll always have his back, and that everyone who doesn't like it can go fuck themselves.”

“Do you think it will work?”

“If by work, you mean will it fix everything, then no. But it will probably make him feel better and that’s good enough for now.”

“I hope so,” Tyler sighs and drops his head on Jamie’s shoulder. He does it all the time on the bench during games so Jamie’s likely used to it by now. He doesn’t complain and puts his arm around Tyler to draw him closer. It’s been awhile since they’ve been close together like this. Things got a lot less physical once Jamie started dating Katie. Tyler likes her just fine and he knows she makes Jamie happy. Still, he misses having this sort of moments with Jamie.

“Just one more hour till we land!” Bishop exclaims, coming out of nowhere, “You’re probably excited to get home, Jamie.”

“I guess so,” Jamie says, removing his arm from Tyler. “The appointment isn't until next week.”

“The appointment?” Tyler asks.

“Jamie and Katie are going to get TiMERs!” Bishop tells him.

“Oh. That’s great!” Tyler says, trying his damn hardest to keep it together.

“To be honest, I’m a little... nervous about it,” Jamie admits. He almost sound sad, but that’s probably just Tyler’s wishful thinking.

“Don’t be! I’m sure it’ll work out perfectly just like it did for me and Andrea,” Bishop reassures him and pats his shoulder before walking away.

“So… congratulations, I guess,” Tyler tells him with what’s probably the fakest smile of his life. Even faker than his “I-just-got-traded-but-I’m-grateful-for-the-opportunity” smile.

“Save the congratulations for next week. If it turns out she’s my soulmate I’m going to propose.”

Tyler feels like somebody just punched him in the stomach.

“For real?” He says, still blasting his fake ass smile.

“Yeah, I mean we’ve been together for years and the timing hasn’t been right because of her job and my job and all that,” Jamie explains, clearly unaware that Tyler isn’t interested in hearing it. “If we’re soulmates then we should stop putting it off and just get with it, you know what I mean? We gotta stop waiting around for nothing.”

“Yeah, totally,” Tyler says, holding back a sigh. He tells Jamie that he wants to take a nap just to get him to leave. He’s not gonna do something stupid like cry on the plane with Jamie and everyone else on board. But he’s not much of an actor and he wasn't gonna be able to keep the whole ‘Happy-For-You!’ Act for much longer.

Tyler feels stupid that he didn’t prepare enough for this. He knew Jamie was serious about Katie from the get go. It was inevitable that they would get married. The thing is, their wedding always seemed like a distant future. Tyler had thought that by then he would have found someone who made him feel as happy as Jamie did, if not more. He had hoped that when the time came, he would be able to tell Jamie he was happy for him and _mean_ it. But now the time is here, and Tyler wasn’t able to move on, wasn’t able to find somebody he could feel anything for. Maybe he didn't try hard enough. Maybe he’s incapable of feeling love. Maybe he’s just unlovable. Or maybe he’s both. Whichever the reason, he knows two things: One, he’s gotta get his shit together if he wants to keep his friendship with Jamie. And two, his life would definitely be a lot easier if TiMERs never existed.

 


	2. chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't updated this in ages. I got stuck with a certain scene on this chapter and I really struggled with finishing it. Im determined to finish this story so don't give up on it please lmao. Btw, there's been a rating change ;)
> 
> *Some Relevant References:*  
> \- [This](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y_bDFLOQNbxgGGp_hvpAlOFW_RpQN77T/view?usp=sharing) is what a TiMER looks like.  
> \- [Every Rose Has Its Thorn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcqWyyHlCDA) by Poison. It's a song that's mentioned a couple times in the story. I didn't want to include the lyrics or anything like that because, A) the lyrics don't have any relation to the plot, and B) I didn't want this to turn out like a songfic from 2008 Fan Fiction . net

_When in doubt, throw a party._

That’s always been Tyler’s motto. And so that’s what he does. He chooses to throw it on the night before the Stars have an off day, which is conveniently the one night he knows Jamie can’t go, the same night Jamie will get engaged. It’s not that Tyler doesn’t want to be around Jamie. The thing is, Tyler’s planning to go on a hardcore bender, the kind of self-destructive behavior he hasn't had since his days in Boston. If Jamie saw him like that, he’d be disappointed. He probably wouldn’t say it out loud, but he’d look at him with his big, brown eyes as if to say “ _You’re better than this, Segs. I thought you were better than this._ ”  After all of the shit Tyler’s already dealing with, there’s no way he could handle Jamie’s look of disappointment.

So he straight up doesn't invite Jamie to the party. He tells everyone in the team and some of his non-hockey friends (not Brian and Nick, because Tyler is _done_ with those bigoted assholes). They’re all informed of the no-recording policy that Tyler decided to implement. He’s providing free alcohol, the least they could do is to not post videos of him when he’s dancing half-naked on top of a pool table. He’s not exactly planning on doing that, but it’s happened before so… better be safe than sorry.

Although the instructions in the mass text/invite Tyler sent were more than clear, they were apparently not clear enough for Devin Shore.

It’s hours before the party and the whole team is in the locker room after playing an early afternoon game. Devin is several feet away from Tyler when he yells, “Seggy! What should we bring tonight to your crib?”

Tyler sighs, almost feeling the confusion radiate from Jamie in the stall next to him. “Nothing but your wonderful presence, Shoresy,” he says, “And please don’t call it a crib.”

Jamie nudges him with his foot. “What is Devin talking about?”

“Just some party I’m throwing at my place tonight,” Tyler explains with a shrug, trying to play it cool.

“And you didn't invite me,” Jamie replies, not asking. There’s no discernable emotion in his face or in his voice. Somehow, that feels worse.

“It’s not like you can go, anyways,” Tyler says and is instantly annoyed at himself for sounding so petty.

Jamie blinks at him, taken back. “If it was any other day I would-”

“It’s not a big deal, Chubbs,” Tyler cuts him off, “There will be other parties. You can go to the next one.”

“I guess,” Jamie sighs, looking at the floor. He probably knows that once he’s married, his appearances at Tyler’s parties will be rarer than they already were. An easy sacrifice to make in exchange for love, Tyler thinks.

“Good luck tonight,” he says, with the tiniest of smiles, and walks out the locker room without giving Jamie another look.

 

* * *

 

Getting drunk turns out be a lot harder than Tyler expected.

As the host of the party, Tyler has duties like showing people where the alcohol is, explaining which bathrooms they are allowed to use, making sure everyone leaves their phone and their car keys in the designated plastic bowl, among other things. He never worried about things like that before, but Tyler has become more of a responsible adult than people (himself included) give him credit for.

He’s having fun for sure, but he’s still mostly sober and his sober thoughts keep going to Jamie. If he was drunk, he wouldn't be thinking about Jamie and how he’s probably already setting a date for his wedding to Katie; he wouldn't been thinking about anything at all.

Tyler gulps down his entire drink and walks in the direction of the karaoke machine when someone taps him on the shoulder. It’s a tall, brunette girl with a magnificent cleavage.

“Hey,” he says with a smirk, not even bothering to look her in the eye. If she approached him, it’s because she’s interested.

She’s not.

“Someone’s ringing your doorbell,” she says, unamused, and walks away without another word.

Tyler looks around to check if anyone saw his failure. No one seems to have been looking in his direction, so he counts it as a win and walks to the front door.

It’s past 1 am and Tyler wonders who would arrive this late to a party, besides the police.

“Please don’t be the police, please don’t be the police,” he pleads as he opens the door.

It’s not the police. Instead of finding an angry cop standing outside, he finds Jamie Benn, who’s ridiculously overdressed for the occasion wearing a suit and tie.

“What are you doing here?” Tyler asks in disbelief.

“Is that how you greet all of your guests?” Jamie says, raising his eyebrows.

“Sorry. Do you want to come in?”

“No, I came here just to stand outside your door like an idiot,” Jamie replies, his voice dripping with sarcasm, and walks past him and into the house.

“Um… can I get you anything?” Tyler offers. If it was any other guest Tyler would just point them in the direction of the alcohol and leave it at that. But it’s Jamie so Tyler’s willing to make him a damn Piña Colada if it’s what he wants.

“Get me a shot of something. Anything. Tequila or whatever,” Jamie rambles running a hand through his hair and completely messing it up. He doesn’t seem sad, but he doesn't seem happy either. He looks off, not like someone who just engaged should look.

They walk into the kitchen and Tyler pours Tequila into a shot glass and hands it to Jamie, who downs it less than a second later and bursts into a fit of coughs.

“Jesus...are you alright?” Tyler asks him.

“I’m fine,” Jamie answers, composing himself. “Pour me another.”

Tyler does as he is told. Jamie’s second shot has the same effect as the first, he coughs loudly and makes a face of disgust.

“Do you want another one?” Tyler says holding the Tequila bottle. He’s pretty sure Jamie didn’t enjoy the shots in the slightest, but it doesn’t seem like enjoyment is what Jamie’s after tonight.

“Yeah, but have one with me. Don’t let me drink alone like a loser,” Jamie replies, still grimacing. He takes off his suit jacket and loosens his tie while Tyler gets a shot glass for himself. He loves doing shots, and whatever it is Jamie’s dealing with, Tyler won’t make him drink by himself.

“Cheers,” they both say and gulp their shots down at the same time. Jamie somehow coughs even louder than before while Tyler has no reaction at all.

“How the fuck do you that?” Jamie shoves him playfully, “You just drank that like it was water.”

“Years of practice, dude,” Tyler replies returning the shove.

Jamie shoves him again but doesn’t say anything, he just stands there and smiles at Tyler. It’s a genuine smile, a teeth flashing, eyes crinkling at the corners smile. The kind of smile Jamie doesn’t show too often. It makes Tyler want to melt into a puddle but all he does is smile back stupidly, suddenly feeling a lot drunker than he was earlier. Tyler doesn’t want to speak, afraid he might ruin the moment.

Someone else ruins it, though.

Devin walks into the kitchen and yelps audibly. “Jamie!” he exclaims, “What are you doing here?”

“Seriously, does no one on this team have manners?” Jamie wonders out loud, to no one in particular. He takes a step away from Tyler, for some reason. Tyler hadn’t even realized they were standing that close.

“Sorry, I’m just surprised to see you here. I didn’t think you were gonna come!” Devin says. It seems like he’s a little drunk, which means he’s more excitable than usual. “Where’s Katie? She owes me a beer pong rematch after she beat me on New Year’s Eve.”

Jamie’s smile instantly falters. “Sorry Shoresy, but I don’t think you’ll be getting that rematch.”

“Well, okay then. I guess I can wait till the next team party.”

“Umm, no. I wouldn’t count on that,” Jamie says, dropping his gaze downwards. “You won’t be seeing much of Katie anymore.”

Devin’s face contorts as if somebody had died. “Oh no,” he says, “I’m so sorry, Jamie.”

Tyler doesn’t really understand what happened or what Devin is apologizing for. He’s about to ask for an explanation when Bishop walks into the kitchen.

“Hey!” Bishop greets Jamie but somehow manages to read the room in seconds. “What happened?” he asks in a soothing tone.

“Me and Katie broke up,” Jamie answers, matter-of-factly.

“What?! Why?!” Tyler gasps before he can help himself. It doesn’t make any sense for them to break up. Jamie doesn’t even look that sad, he’s looked sadder on post-game interviews than he does now.

“Why are you asking why? It’s pretty obvious,” Bishop chastises Tyler, sounding considerably less kind than he did before.

“Their TiMERs didn’t match, Tyler,” Devin explains, clearly noticing that it wasn’t as obvious to him.

 _So Katie isn’t Jamie’s soulmate,_ he realizes. He almost feels like breaking into a celebration dance but that would be embarrassing, not to mention selfish.

“Was it a very wide difference in the countdowns?” Bishop asks Jamie, using the softer voice again.

“She meets her soulmate in three weeks,” Jamie says with a shrug.

“And you?” Tyler dares to ask. He’s not even sure what he wants the answer to be.

Jamie lets out a deep sigh and lifts the sleeve on his left arm. There’s a gray plastic device embedded in his wrist, but Tyler can’t tell if there’s any numbers on it. He forcefully grabs Jamie’s wrist to take a better look. The words Days, Hours, Minutes, and Seconds are on it, but nothing else. Tyler taps at it with his index finger.

“Ouch,” Jamie says, but doesn’t move his wrist from Tyler’s hands.

“Why are there no numbers on it? Is there something wrong with it?” Tyler asks tapping the plastic again, softer this time, “Is there something wrong with _you_?”

“Jesus Christ, Tyler. Of course there’s nothing wrong with him!” Bishop says, almost shouting, “It’s perfectly normal to have a blank TiMER, Jamie. Don’t worry about it.”

“But _why_ is it blank?” Tyler asks. None of the research he did mentioned anything about blank TiMERs.

“It just means Jamie’s soulmate doesn’t have a TiMER yet,” Devin says, while Bishop just rolls his eyes at Tyler’s ignorance.

“Yeah, the lady who installed it said it’s not unusual, since not a lot of people have them yet,” Jamie explains, finally dropping his wrist away from Tyler. “Apparently, it could turn on any minute now and I just got to be patient. Or that’s what they told me, anyways.”

“I’m sure it will be soon, Jamie,” Bishop pats him in the back, “It won’t be long until everyone has one and then you’ll know.”

“Yeah, for sure!” Devin exclaims, back to his usual pep.

“Hold on, _this_ is why you and Katie broke up?” Tyler asks, still puzzled by the situation, “Because of the stupid TiMERs? That’s it?”

“What would have been the point in staying together?” Jamie shrugged.

“You mean besides keeping your free will and not letting a machine dictate your life?” Tyler snaps at him. Somehow, he’s gone from being utterly confused to being angry. Maybe because of the alcohol.

“Calm down, Segs,” Bishop says, but Tyler ignores him.

“Dude, why are you so upset about this?” Jamie wonders, “You didn’t even like her that much.”

“No, but you did! You always acted like there were rainbows coming out of her ass!” He’s full on yelling now. “And now you’re telling me you ended things with her because a stupid computer doesn’t think she’s your soulmate or whatever? That’s fucking ridiculous.”

“I know you don’t believe in-”

“Yeah, damn right I don’t,” Tyler says cutting Jamie off. Bishop and Devin look like they're about to go on yet another speech about how legitimate the TiMERs are and Tyler’s not willing to hear it. “I’m not having this stupid discussion again. Have fun and don’t drink and drive,” he tells them and storms off.

Tyler doesn’t feel like being around people anymore, which is inconvenient given the situation. He ignores everyone who calls out to him as he walks to the most secluded corner of his backyard, away from everybody. He’ll rejoin the party eventually, but right now he just needs time to think. He doesn’t even know why he’s upset. It’s not like he wanted Jamie to marry Katie anyways. Tyler knows he doesn’t get to tell Jamie what to do. Still, he doesn’t love the idea of Jamie building his whole life around a stupid little device on his wrist. What is Jamie going to do if it never lights on? Die alone? Because Tyler will never move on from him if that happens. And then he’ll also die alone.

He’s morbidly picturing both of their funerals when he spots Jamie walking towards him.

“I’m sorry,” Jamie says.

“For what?” Tyler asks confused, since he’s the one who yelled at him.

“For crashing your party, I guess,” Jamie shrugs, “and for not agreeing with you about the TiMERs.”

Tyler suddenly feels like an asshole. “You’re not crashing the party, that’s ridiculous,” he says, “And you’re allowed to have your own opinion and make your own decisions. Don’t apologize for that.”

“I know that, but you’re upset, and I don’t like it when you’re upset,” Jamie says. He’s slurring his speech a little bit, the tequila already getting to him.

“I’m not upset,” he lies, “I’m just… an emotional guy. I react too strongly sometimes. Just ignore me and do your thing. Even if I don’t get why you’re doing it.”

“You don’t get it.” Jamie sighs.

“I literally just said that I don’t.” Maybe Jamie’s drunker than Tyler thought.

“No, I mean…” Jamie sighs again, runs a hand through his hair. “You don’t get why I got a TiMER. You’re _you_. Everywhere you go people always like you. You don’t even have to try.”

“And you do?”

Jamie lets out a snort. “Yes, and half the time it doesn’t even work,” he says. “You know, when I first started dating Katie, I overthought everything. For weeks I worried about every word I said, every move I made, every text. _Everything_. I was so afraid that I would screw up one day and she would realize that she could definitely do a lot better than me.”

“That’s…” Tyler trails off. _Ridiculous_ , it’s what he wants to say, because to him there’s nobody better than Jamie. There’s nobody in the world that Tyler would prefer over him. But he can’t say that out loud. It would definitely make things weird.

“It’s lame, I know,” Jamie says, completely mistaking what Tyler was thinking, “It got a lot better with time, especially after she told me she loved me back. But the fear was always there. With the TiMERs- if we had been soulmates, there wouldn't be any fear. You don’t get a do over on soulmates and there’s literally no one better than your soulmate. You’re stuck with whoever you get. Do you know what I mean?”

“Sort of,” Tyler answers. “But like… wouldn't you prefer for somebody to love you because they chose to and not because a computer told them they had to?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll take what I can get,” Jamie replies.

If Tyler was braver, if he was as confident as Jamie thinks he is, he’d tell the truth about how he feels. He’d wrap his arms around Jamie and he’d tell him that he doesn’t need a stupid TiMER to know that he’s been in love with him for years.  In reality, Tyler is terrified of ruining their friendship so all he does is pat Jamie on the back.

“I’m sorry I was such a dick earlier,” Tyler apologizes.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jamie smiles at him. “Let’s just forget all about this shit. I want to get drunk and have fun.”

“That can be arranged,” Tyler replies smiling back.

“Just don’t introduce me to anybody,” Jamie requests, “I know you probably think I should have rebound sex with some random girl. Or girls. But that’s not- I don’t- It’s not what I’m after tonight, okay?”

Tyler doesn’t know if that means Jamie would rather have rebound sex with a guy. He doesn’t want to press the issue, so he just nods and drags Jamie back to where the alcohol is.

 

* * *

 

It’s been years since Tyler has seen Jamie this drunk. Probably since they clinched a playoff spot in the 2015 season. Tyler’s also pretty drunk but not enough to take his shirt off and dance on a table so he’s still mostly aware of things.

Drunk Jamie is different from Sober Jamie in that it’s clear he’s not worried about what people think. Drunk Jamie is talkative and giggly and he likes to showcase his bad dancing. He’s also surprisingly handsy and his hands don’t leave Tyler for a minute. Tyler tells him he wants to sing a song on the karaoke; he’s literally been wanting to all night. Sober Jamie would never agree, and Tyler wouldn't even bother to ask. Drunk Jamie is a different story; he nods enthusiastically and walks with him towards the karaoke where Radulov and Gemel are laughing at Klingberg, who’s completely butchering a Britney Spears’ song. Tyler and Jamie join the mocking of their teammate until the song is over and it’s their turn.

“Let’s choose some country!” Jamie says.

Tyler is about to humor him and pick a country song when Radulov slaps his hand away from the karaoke machine.

“No no, you don’t choose song. Only random,” he says. His English always gets bad when he’s drunk.

“Random songs are funnier,” Gemel explains still giggling. “It’s why Klinger had to sing ‘Baby One More Time’.”

“I did pretty well, I don’t know why you guys were laughing so much,” Klingberg says, “I think Britney would be proud.”

This sends everyone into another fit of laughter.

“So, you guys in or you out?” Radulov asks once he stops laughing.

“We’re in for sure,” Jamie answers and Gemel clicks on the Random Song option.

The Machine chooses _‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’_.

“Ooh, that’s a good one,” Radulov cheers.

“Um… can’t we get something more upbeat?” Tyler whines. It’s a sad, breakup song and he’s worried it’ll affect Jamie. He doesn’t want to ruin his mood.

Jamie doesn’t have the same concern, though. “No no, I like this song! Leave it!”

The song starts and Jamie sings the first verse. He’s a terrible singer but he doesn’t seem to let that curb his enthusiasm. Tyler joins him in the chorus and he deliriously finds himself thinking their voices actually sound pretty good together. The other guys aren’t laughing at them like they did at Klingberg, but they are grinning and slowly waving their hands in the air. That changes when Tyler tries to hit a high note and his voice completely cracks. Tyler’s only embarrassed for half a second until Jamie stifles his giggles on his shoulder. They regain their composure and continue the song, but Jamie puts an arm around Tyler’s waist, keeping him close and swaying along with him. At one point in the final chorus, Jamie stops looking at the screen with the lyrics and looks straight at Tyler, still singing. Tyler looks back at him and feels like Jamie means something, even if there’s nothing about the song that applies to their relationship. The music ends and they stop swaying but Jamie’s arm doesn’t leave Tyler’s waist. They don’t stop looking at each other either.

Neither one of them says a word and the guys start clapping at them.

“If you guys learn how to use auto tune, I think you could have a career after hockey,” Gemel says sarcastically, earning him a light-hearted punch in the shoulder from Jamie.

Jamie and him stay there and watch as Brett Ritchie and Devin Shore completely stumble over Billy Joel’s ‘ _We Didn’t Start the Fire_ ’, making everybody bend over with laughter. Ritchie and Shore challenge them to a round of beer pong to “reclaim their honor” and Tyler and Jamie gladly accept. Not only do they win with ease, but Jamie hugs him every time they score, and Tyler just soaks it all in, having more fun than he’s had in ages.

They’re walking back to the living room when Honka bumps into Jamie. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal but tonight, Honka clearly drank more than he could handle and he vomits all over Jamie’s chest.

“Honka, what the fuck!” Tyler yells and pushes him into the nearest chair.

“Sorry,” Honka mumbles, vomit still lingering on his lips.

“Don’t yell at him, it’s fine. I’ll go clean up, you make sure he’s alright,” Jamie says and runs off before Tyler can protest.

Tyler drags Honka outside, so he can get some air. He gives him some water to drink and a bucket, just in case he wants to hurl again. Bishop seems to be mostly sober, so Tyler asks him to watch Honka and leaves to find Jamie.

Strangely, Jamie’s not in any of the bathrooms in the first floor and Tyler has to look for him upstairs, opening every room hoping nobody had the nerve to have sex in his house.  He ends up finding Jamie in the master bathroom, scrubbing at the puke stains on his shirt while still wearing it.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Tyler tells him.

Jamie looks up from his shirt and smiles. “Sorry, the bathrooms on the first floor were all occupied. And this shirt’s expensive. I had to act quick.”

“Just take it off,” Tyler says and instantly regrets how eager he sounded, “I mean… I can wash it for you.”

“Oh thanks,” Jamie replies, still smiling at Tyler. He tries to unbutton his shirt but he’s too drunk and his hands aren’t cooperating. “Argh. Can you help me out with this?”

“Um… yeah,” Tyler says, almost whispering. His hands are suddenly shaking but he still has less trouble than Jamie did at undoing the buttons. He tries to focus on the putrid smell of the vomit rather than on the intimacy of the moment, avoids thinking about how he can feel Jamie’s breath on his face, about how much he wants to touch Jamie’s chest. Jamie doesn’t move when the last button is undone, and Tyler has to slip the shirt off from him, his knuckles lightly brushing against the skin on Jamie’s shoulders. Tyler takes the shirt and puts it in the sink so it can soak off the vomit before he puts it in his washing machine.

He turns to look at Jamie, who’s leaning against the bathroom wall and staring at Tyler like he’s the most interesting thing in the world. Tyler allows himself to look at Jamie’s chest and snorts when he realizes there’s vomit on it.

“You still have puke on you,” Tyler tells him. “Must have slipped through your shirt.”

“Gross,” Jamie says but doesn't move or try to clean himself.

Tyler refuses to let his friend stand there with vomit on his skin, so he wets a towel and gently rubs it over Jamie’s chest. Jamie doesn’t protest or attempt to take the towel to do the job himself. When it looks like Jamie is finally clean, Tyler tries to remove his hand. Tries to, because suddenly Jamie’s hand is on his, keeping it against his chest. Tyler looks up to lock eyes with Jamie, who’s looking at him like he never has before.  Jamie bites on his lower lip and Tyler feels like he’s about to faint. If this were any other guy, looking at Tyler like that, he would be 100% sure the guy wants to fuck and Tyler would proceed accordingly without a second of hesitation. But it’s not any other guy. It’s Jamie and one misstep with him could have catastrophic consequences.

Tyler lets go of the towel and places both of his hands on Jamie’s chest. Jamie doesn’t make a sound. Cautiously, Tyler let’s his hands wander down to Jamie’s abs.  He looks up at Jamie again, terrified that he’ll find anger in his eyes, or worse, disgust. Jamie doesn’t meet Tyler’s eyes though. Instead, he’s staring at his lips. Tyler blinks forcefully a couple times, not knowing if what he’s seeing is actually happening. The moment stretches longer, and he dares to dart his tongue out to wet his lips.

It seems to be the drop that spills the glass for Jamie, who leans in and finally kisses him. Tyler kisses him back without thinking twice about it and lets out a moan when he feels Jamie’s fingers running through his hair. Jamie places his hand around the back of Tyler’s neck, keeping him close. There’s nothing sweet about the kiss. Nothing romantic either. Their teeth keep clashing and Jamie’s tongue slides against his. it’s almost violent, but it’s still incredibly hot, still something Tyler has wanted for years. He feels Jamie’s hands trailing down his back until they reach his ass. Tyler is expecting Jamie to squeeze; instead, Jamie lifts him up until he’s sitting on the edge of the sink.

Tyler wraps his legs around Jamie’s waist and his arms around his neck. They kiss and they kiss, only breaking apart for a couple of seconds to catch their breaths. Jamie’s mouth wanders to Tyler’s jaw and then to his neck, nibbling at it. There will be marks, and Tyler is grateful for that. He’ll look at them tomorrow and they will be proof that what happened with Jamie wasn't a figment of his imagination.

“Bed,” Jamie says into his ear. It’s the only thing either one of them has said since they started… whatever it is they’re doing.

Tyler can’t bring himself to speak, so all he does in response is moan and nod.

Jamie tries to carry Tyler to bed and he’s almost successful, but he ends up stumbling with a slipper on the floor and nearly drops Tyler on his ass. Tyler can’t help but giggle, and then Jamie is giggling too. It should be anti-climactic, but Tyler is still as hard as ever, and so is Jamie. Unless it’s Jamie’s phone that’s pressing onto his hip. It’s definitely not his phone. They start kissing again, with less aggressiveness this time but with the same urgency.

“Off,” Jamie says as he tugs on Tyler’s shirt. Tyler wonders if Jamie is ever gonna use words that are longer than one syllable and then he obediently lifts off his shirt and throws it somewhere behind him.

Tyler gets his hand on Jamie’s belt as he steers him towards the bed. “This too. Off,” he says. He sounds like a caveman, but he doesn’t care.

Neither one of them is wearing pants, or anything else, by the time they finally lie in bed. Their bodies slot together perfectly, Jamie perched up above him. Tyler grinds his hips until he manages his cock against Jamie’s and it’s deliriously good. Jamie grunts and bites at Tyler’s lip. They’re both leaking pre cum at this point and Tyler doesn’t know much they can hold out. He pulls his mouth away from Jamie’s to be able to lick his palm before wrapping it around their cocks. He’s really fucking drunk and his coordination isn’t the best, but he tries his damn hardest to concentrate and make this good for Jamie. Because Jamie deserves good things. And good sex.

“It _is_ good,” Jamie says, because apparently Tyler said all that out loud. “You’re so fucking good.”

Tyler moans at the praise, and then Jamie’s hand is on his dick. They jerk each other off, hard and fast. It should last pretty long, with the amount of alcohol they both had tonight. But somehow, it doesn't, and they both come into each other’s fists after only a few minutes.

Tyler feels hazy and he can’t find the strength to get up to clean the cum off from everywhere it spilled. His hands, his stomach, his thighs. He doesn’t even know which cum is his and which is Jamie’s. He feels oddly happy about that. Jamie, on the other hand, has died. Or at least it seems like it from the way he’s lying limp on top of Tyler, crushing him with his weight.

“I can’t breathe,” Tyler says, finally managing to speak. Jamie doesn’t react, so he pinches Jamie’s calf with his toes.

“Sleep,” Jamie grunts.

“Can’t if you’re crushing me,” Tyler says and pinches the back Jamie’s thigh this time.

Jamie grunts again, but he rolls over. Tyler rest his head on Jamie’s chest, which still smells like puke. Regardless of the odor, Tyler falls asleep quickly and with a smile on his face.

 

* * *

 

Tyler wakes up when he hears a knock on the bedroom door. He hates that he’s such a sleeper. Maybe if he pretends he didn't hear anything he can go back to sleep and whoever is knocking will leave him alone.

There’s another knock on the door. “Uhm, Tyler? You in there?” the knocker asks. It’s a male voice, but Tyler can’t tell who it is.

“Yeah, just give me a minute!” Tyler replies. Beside him, Jamie doesn’t even stir. There’s dry cum on his groin and stomach. Shit. He and Tyler had sex. That happened. Shit.

Tyler scrambles out of bed and tries to find his clothes, without much success. The room is dark, and Tyler got undressed pretty hastily so now he has no idea where anything is. It takes him a lot of effort to get dressed but he manages to it. Once he feels somewhat presentable, he opens the door.

The knocker turns out to be Bishop, who looks preoccupied.

“What’s up?” Tyler asks him. Casually. Like there’s no dry cum under his shirt.

“Um, Honka threw up. Again,” Bishop explains.

“So?” Tyler is confused. Why is Honka’s vomit worth interrupting his peaceful post sex sleep?

“So, your expensive, white carpet is now stained with vomit. Klingberg and I tried to clean it up, but we couldn’t find your cleaning supplies.”

“They’re in the…” Tyler trails off. He should go clean the mess himself. It’s his carpet after all. He can’t go back to bed with Jamie, as if that was normal. That’s just not reality. “I’ll go clean it up,” he says stepping out of his bedroom and closing the door behind him.

“Umm, before you do that, I should say something,” Bishop says, avoiding Tyler’s eyes. “I don't mean to pry-”

“Then don’t,” Tyler cuts him off. He’s got a feeling that what Bish wants to say has to do with what happened with Jamie.

“I should, though. Things could get really shitty if I don’t say something,” Bishop continues, “What you do is your business, but you gotta be careful, okay? It’s clear as day that you and Jamie aren’t on the same page.”

“What does that even mean?” Tyler asks, confused. He’s not really drunk anymore but he’s still not following what Bishop is trying to get at.

“It means,” Bishop sighs and runs a hand through his face. “He just got out of a three-year relationship and you’re… “

“I’m what?”

“You’re in love with him. And don’t even try denying it. You looked miserable that day on the plane when you found out he was getting engaged,” he explains. “Look, I’m not trying to be mean, I just don’t want either one of you to get hurt. He was vulnerable tonight. And you were available. This was most likely a rebound thing and nothing more.”

“I’m not an idiot, Ben,” Tyler says. He never calls him by his first name. “I may not know a lot of things, but I know what a one-night stand looks like.”

“Are you sure?” Bishop asks, his voice full of concern.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. This was a one-time thing. Won’t happen again, I swear.”

Bishop seems content with his answer and they walk downstairs to clean the vomit off his carpet.

 

* * *

 

It’s nearly six am by the time everyone leaves Tyler’s house. Everyone except for Jamie, of course, who’s dead asleep in Tyler’s bedroom. Tyler can’t get back into bed with him. He just can’t.

He drinks some Gatorade and cleans up a little, before falling asleep on his couch alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on [tumblr](http://baetriots.tumblr.com/) if you'd like  
> and please leave a comment :)


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